HoopsHD continues its simulation of what would have happened in TTTW (The Tournament That Wasn’t). Up next it is time to continue with the First and Second rounds of the NCAA Tournament with a look at the fourth and final of the four pods in the Midwest Region. The Creighton Bluejays, fresh off one of the school’s best seasons ever, which included a tie for the regular season title and the conference tournament championship, were looking to advance to the Sweet 16, and needed a win over Northern Kentucky in the first round to have that chance. First up, however, is a game that would have gone down in history as one of the greats in the tournament. What would have happened? It is time to find out!
FIRST ROUND – MIDWEST REGION – ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI
(7) Iowa vs (10) Arizona State
In a tournament that has already seen more than its fair share of great head coach matchups, perhaps the most-anticipated first round pairing was the one between Iowa’s Fran McCaffery and Arizona State’s Bobby Hurley. Vegas oddsmakers even had numbers set on which coach would be more likely to be ejected from the game! Coach McCaffery’s Iowa Hawkeyes has a strong season in the deep Big Ten, though a three game losing streak entering the Tournament had probably cost them at least one seed line. Coach Hurley’s Arizona State Sun Devils, on the other hand, had used a strong run in the middle of the Pac-12 season to move from being outside the Bubble to clearly in the field.
The NCAA Tournament in its history has given us good games, great games, and an occasional game so amazing that we remember it for years to come. It was this later type of game that we were in store for today. The Hawkeyes and Sun Devils began the game with both teams trading shots back-and-forth the entire first half. The biggest lead for either team was Iowa’s 6-point lead seconds before halftime, but a Taeshon Cherry jumper at the buzzer cut that down to four, 43-39. The second half was just as fun, as nether team opened a lead larger than 4 points the entire way. A Remy Martin free throw put the Sun Devils up by 2 points with 13 seconds left to play, but Luka Garza banked one in with 5 seconds to go to tie the game and send it to overtime tied at 84. In the OT period, Iowa came out shooting and quickly built what appeared to be a commanding 9-point lead, 96-87, with 2 minutes left to play. The Sun Devils were not done, however, as 3-pointers from Rob Edwards and Remy Martin helped them pull to within a single point, 98-97 with 5 seconds left to play. After Iowa’s Bakari Edwards made a pair of free throws, Arizona State had one chance left to tie…and Taeshon Cherry’s three at the buzzer found nothing but net to send the game to a second OT period.
Luka Garza had been the hero for Iowa at the end of regulation, sending the game into OT. Taeshon Cherry had been the hero for ASU at the end of the first OT, sending it to a second extra period. The second overtime, which was back and forth with neither team opening a lead of more than 3 points the entire 5 minutes, needed a hero as well. When Arizona State’s Romello White sunk a pair of free throws with 6 seconds left on the clock to put his team up 112-109, it was Iowa that would be in need of that hero. CJ Fredrick promptly donned his superhero costume and became just that, sinking a 3 from the right corner at the buzzer, and sending the game off to an amazing third overtime with yet another buzzer beater!
The third OT period provided just as many thrills as the first 50 minutes of the game had. The teams exchanged leads multiple times until a pair of Rob Edwards free throws put ASU up 126-123 with 1:30 left to play, and a pair of defensive stops followed by an Alonzo Verge basket extended that lead to 5 with only 26 seconds left to play. Once again, however, the Hawkeyes were not done. CJ Fredrick missed a 3-pointer with 18 seconds on the clock but Luka Garza grabbed the offensive rebound, kicked the ball back out, and Fredrick’s next 3 found the net and cut the lead to 2 with 7 seconds left to play. Iowa promptly fouled Rob Edwards, who walked down the court and missed both free throws, giving Iowa one last chance. Joe Wieskamp got a potential game-winning shot off from halfcourt as time expired….but the ball was long, the game was over, and Arizona State had won the game of the Tournament so far, 128-126 in triple overtime! Romello White’s stat line for the Sun Devils – 28 points and 21 rebounds – was simply amazing, though Remy Martin (28 points), Rob Edwards (27 points) and Alonzo Verge (22 points) all had games to remember. Even in the loss, several Hawkeyes put up great numbers, as Luke Garza (35 points and 14 boards) joined Joe Wieskamp and Jack Nunge all with double-doubles on the game. In the end, Arizona State’ season continued and Iowa’s had come to an end.
Final Score: (10) Arizona State 128, (7) Iowa 126 (3ot)
(2) Creighton vs (15) Northern Kentucky
Having to play the game that followed the amazing triple-overtime thriller between Iowa and Arizona State was not an easy task for Creighton and Northern Kentucky – especially when both teams had to wait an extra hour for the prior game to end and their warmups to begin. The Creighton Bluejays entered this game as the 2-seed in the Midwest. They had tied for the Big East regular season title and followed that up with a Big East Tournament championship, making this by far their best season since joining the Big East. The Selection Committee had awarded Creighton with a 2-seed, making them the favorite to advance out of this pod and to the Sweet 16. First up, however, they needed to get past the Horizon League tournament champion Northern Kentucky Norse. Despite only having recently transitioned up to Division I, the Norse had become a force in their conference, and were making their third NCAA Tournament appearance in the past four years.
The game was supposed to be an easy warmup for Creighton before their second round game against Arizona State. Instead, the city of St. Louis gave fans their second straight thriller. The Norse played the Bluejays tight the entire first half, and went to the break trailing by a score of 33-29. NKU then came out of the lockerroom on fire, bursting out with a 10-2 run to take the lead, 39-35. The Norse would eventually extend that lead to as many as 9 points before Creighton started to fight back. A reverse layup by Christian Bishop gave the Bluejays the lead back with 1:41 left to play. Creighton tried to pull away in the final minute, but a pair of baskets by Jalen Tate kept the Norse right there. With Creighton up two and in possession of the ball,. Marcus Zegarowski was fouled with seconds left on the clock. A pair of high pressure free throws put the Bluejays up by 4, a lead they needed when NKU’s Trevon Faulkner’s 3-pointer at the buzzer found the net. Creighton had survived, however, and advanced to the second round by the narrowest of margins, 69-68.
Final Score: (2) Creighton 69, (15) Northern Kentucky 68
SECOND ROUND – MIDWEST REGION – ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI
(2) Creighton vs (10) Arizona State
The first round Midwest Region pod in St. Louis had provided a pair of thrillers, with Arizona State winning an amazing triple-overtime thriller over Iowa and Creighton having escaped Northern Kentucky by only a single point. Thus, there was little doubt among fans that the city of St. Louis was set to host what could be another amazing game in the second round as the two teams squared off with a berth in the Sweet 16 and a trip to Indianapolis on the line.
Winning a game in triple overtime can be taxing on a team, both physically and mentally. Although the fans expected a great game, the fact was that the Sun Devils came out looking like a team that was still exhausted from their win over Iowa. Creighton dominated the first half, holding the Sun Devils to only 19 points, and took a 33-19 advantage into the break. Although ASU played a lot better in the second half, the Bluejays appeared to be pretty much set on cruise control. The game was never truly a contest and Creighton had a spot in the Sweet 16 thanks to a fairly easy 74-60 win. Mitch Ballock led Creighton in scoring with 25 points on the game and Marcus Zegrowski contributed 14. Creighton was on their way to Indianapolis, and a date with 3-seed Michigan State.
Final Score: (2) Creighton 74, (10) Arizona State 60
